LEFT: Robert Swedroe's work. RIGHT: Guests gather at BB America in Brickell.
The bond between Brazil and the United States grew even stronger recently beginning with the opening private party of the 4th Banco do Brasil Americas Cultural Series art exhibition in Miami. Featured were the works of three internationally acclaimed artists: Miami artist Robert Swedroe, Brazilian artist Didi Marchi, and Mexican artist Othon Castaneda. Coincidentally each one is also an active architect.
Titled Color Beyond Symmetry & Horizons, the exhibition was expertly curated by Maria A. Napoles and Jade Matarazzo. The two utilized a variation of spaces throughout the bank’s two-level headquarters at 800 Brickell Avenue, Suite 103. Atypical as a bank may sound for an art exhibition it was a welcome challenge for the curators. The bank’s abundant wall spaces offered satisfactory backgrounds for viewing the varied sizes and shapes of the of art work. Helio Vitor Ramos Filho (General Consulate of Brazil, Pamela Kohl (Vice President of Banco do Brasil ) and Cassio Segura (President and CEO of Banco do Brasil) joined the guests at the opening event and stayed until closing time.
BB Americas is bringing the success of its cultural series to The Magic City, lured by Miami’s phenomenal growth as a world-renown art community since Art Basel brought its first show here. BB Americas has had major success sponsoring art in more than five Brazilian cities with over 3,500 projects displayed, 12,000 events and 60 million visitors, according to BB Americas.
LEFT:Marc, Rita and Robert Swedroe. RIGHT: Didi Marchi's Horizon.
Those in attendance at the private Miami opening leisurely walked around the different spaces, champagne glasses in hand, while intently studying the vibrant and divers art. Miami mixed-media and 3-D assemblage artist Swedroe’s explosively colorful and expertly resined works reflected a mastery of structure and form. In contrast, Brazilian artist Marchi’s evocative, abstract expressionist paintings incorporated the fascinating random quality of staining. In an entirely different approach, Mexican artist Castaneda’s anthropomorphic work reached into his life to produce spatial and organic allusions characterized in small scale soft sculptures.
Curator Jade Matarazzo, an artist and Renaissance woman, has partnered with Maria Fulfaro in Art in Brazil, an organization with the purpose of bringing Brazilian art to the United States via exhibits. She and Fulfaro and curator Napoles don’t hide their passion about bringing Brazilian art here, especially in Miami. “We want to show that Brazil is more than just Carnival and music and dancing,” Matarazzo comments. “The Consul of Brazil is our supporter,” she adds and explains that every two months three different artists are chosen to exhibit their work at BB Americas. One is always Brazilian and a guest curator is selected. Indeed, this labor of love appears contagious with all Brazilian art aficionados.
Curators Maria A. Napoles and Jade Matarazzo.
Curator Napoles, who was invited by Matarazzo to team up for the curating, has been involved with visual art media for the last 15 years. She is expert in knowing the cultures and backgrounds of almost all Latin American countries. “The culture and art is totally different in all of them,” she states. But then, sotto voce, she adds, “Brazil is extremely colorful.”
Banco do Brasil Americas Cultural Series is an exhibition program created by Banco do Brasil Americas to promote local artists and the diversity of our community. The exhibit will be open daily to the public at no cost during business hours from Monday to Friday through Sept. 4, 2015.
